Ombudsman Reports Rights Violations in Assault Regiments

First Deputy Military Ombudsman Ruslan Tsyhankov said in an interview with Radio Liberty that violations of servicemen’s rights have been recorded in several assault regiments, particularly the 225th and 425th.

According to Tsyhankov, the majority of complaints come from these two units. He cited documented cases of soldiers being beaten in the 425th Assault Regiment. He also noted that personnel in these units are denied access to mobile phones—officially for security reasons, but possibly to prevent them from filing complaints.

Tsyhankov suggested that one contributing factor is the unusually large size of these formations. The commander of the 225th Assault Regiment has previously said he oversees 15 battalions—roughly equivalent to a division. The scale of these units, Tsyhankov argued, complicates oversight and affects the protection of servicemen’s rights.

Recent personnel data underscores this trend. Over the past month, the 425th Assault Regiment received 20 times more recruits than any other brigade in the Armed Forces. According to a report on the implementation of an order issued by Commander-in-Chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi on February 26, 2026, the unit exceeded its staffing target by 248%. The document was obtained by bihus.info journalist Anna Kaluzna.

In contrast, Tsyhankov described the situation in the 210th Assault Regiment, which he recently visited, as significantly better. “We saw completely different faces and a completely different attitude,” he said.

However, that situation may not remain unchanged. According to Kaluzna, Major Oleh Shiryaev, commander of the 225th Assault Regiment—one of the units most frequently cited in complaints—has recently been appointed deputy commander of the 210th Assault Regiment. The appointment was made personally by General Oleksandr Syrskyi.